Like it or not Big Pharma has invested too much in Statin (cholesterol lowering) drug development and they have been too much of a cash cow to expect to see them disappear any time soon.
Apart from their marginal effectiveness (many have not shown to reduce blockages in heart arteries example pravachol) and the fact that they are pretty much completely useless in women they are also loaded with side effects.
In the past several studies have shown that adding fish oil to statins decreased the liver toxicity associated with statins.
We also know how good fish oil is for the brain and there are brain side effects to stains as well.
Finally there is inflammatory muscle disease another side effect of statins.
Recently another study has come our showing that adding fish oil to statins boosts there effectiveness.
This is actually not the first study of its kind, there were several others as far back as 5 years ago but this is the first one that actually got any press.
In this study there was marked reduction in the triglycerides and no increase in side effects at all. The results compared very favorably to the “standard” (read prescription drug) therapy combination of statin plus fibrate without the side effects.
Now add this to previous studies that showed (GISSI 1999 and beyond) that fish oil was probably more effective at preventing heart disease than a statin, That statins plus fish oil not only improve tolerability in many people but also add to the good HDL cholesterol (AM J Cardiology May 2010) and you understand the reason why its malpractice in some countries in Europe not to add fish oil for heart disease.
You also understand my similar statements about America; we could be saving up to 250,000 lives alone with fish oil.
By the way the dose used in this study was getting closer to what I consider the best dose. They used 4 grams a day instead of the ridiculous “eat 2 fish meals a week or take 1 gram of fish oil 2x a week recommendation that so many “official” medical societies tout.
Now the laws of the land say I cannot tell you that any of this applies to MY fish oil or any other band not sued in the studies. But I am allowed to tell you I make the cleanest product around and that I have tremendous cholesterol numbers and no evidence of heart daises even though my dad had clear problems with both by the time he was my age (I am over 50).
I can also tell you that there is only one brand of pharmaceutical grade fish oil I would take because there is only one brand I have tested personally in myself in my family and in independent lab analysis
Finally I can predict that my recommendation of 6 grams a day will eventually become the standard of fish oil supplementation.
So far everything else I have predicted has come true even though I have been reduced for it.
I don’t care about the ridicule.
I care about hearts brains and bodies, YOURS and mine! And don’t forget the people you love either; send them this email!
Dr. Dave